Wilderness
by PuffleHuffWriting
Summary: The dynamics of the werewolves have always felt bizarre to Remus, but he had spent his life staying on the outside. When something comes up that makes him face others of his own kind, he ends up questioning himself.
1. Chapter 1

Sirius Black was about to burst at the seams as he waited for Dumbledore to finish his speech. He had the greatest respect for the Wizard, sure, but he'd restated his same few ideas in a couple different ways now, and Sirius had mischief he was dying to get into. It was the only thing that kept him sane in his old family home. He'd only been stuck in the gloomy old House of Black for two weeks now, but he knew if it were not for the constantly flowing alcohol that someone or another was bringing in, or that he could get into some sort of meddlesome nonsense with his friends.

Finally, and much to the younger wizard's relief, Dumbledore wished all in attendance well and disapperated. Other members of the newly reformed Order of the Phoniex took their departure, some also disapperating, others simply walking out of the old dining room, making small conversation. Sirius sat his ground at the other end of the table from where their leader had stood, waiting. As soon as the bulk of the crowd was cleared out, Sirius stood from his position and slinked his way down several places to come to sit next to his best and oldest friend, Remus Lupin.

"Out with it, then..." Lupin sighs, knowing the look on his friend's face only too well.

"Out with what?" Sirius replies innocently. The werewolf huffs and rolls his eyes.

"Fine. Don't tell me." He picks up the copy of the Daily Prophet from where he'd discarded it to the side to listen to the meeting, and hides himself behind it. He also smiles, knowing how much this small action will annoy the other wizard.

"Moony..." He whines, pushing the paper down from the top. "Don't ignore me. I was only messing."

"Fine." He lays his paper neatly before him. "What has you so giddy?"

"She fancies you." Sirius replies, cutting all pretense from the conversation. Remus snorts, picks up the paper and continues to read the article he'd started. This is the second time Sirius has made such an accusation, and he is honestly more annoyed than anything by it.

"You're mental." Remus replies behind the newsprint.

"Why?" Sirius demands. He knows, of course.

"Sirius, please." He says in a firm voice. He lowers his paper once more to peer from behind it to his friend's warm grey eyes. "Don't."

For the moment, Sirius lets it go. After all, it has been over twelve years of time between them, and Remus has been through things Sirius does not know about, and as far as he knew was not going to be willing to disclose. He stood, walking out of the kitchen dining room.

Sirius ventures upstairs and grabs a crystal decanter full of elvish whiskey, the sort his grandfather had called "The Potionless Truth", due to its tendency to make the drinker reveal things they normally would not. He then stopped in the kitchen adjoining the dining room and takes two glasses from an old dusty cabinet. He re-enters, ignored at first. He turns the glasses up and pours them both half-full.

"When does Dumbles want you to leave?" He asks, his voice a bit sadder than before when he'd been trying to talk. Remus carefully folds his paper, laying it next to him on the table. He turns his whiskey up and downs it in one shot.

"Tomorrow afternoon. The moon just passed, it will calmer to join them now." He answers, rubbing his temples where his hair is starting to grey far before its time. Sirius sighs.

"And you're sure this is safe?" Sirius presses.

"It's necessary." He replies, pouring himself a second glass.

"And if they kill you?" Sirius asks, worried now. He'd been so glad to have his old friend back, but the signs of depression in the man were overpowering. He was scared, often, to leave him alone; and was forever glad he'd at least accepted his invitation to stay with him at Grimauld when he was in London. Remus simply shrugged and downed the second glass.

"You've survived worse." He replied, rising from the table, signaling his exit from the conversation. Sirius shot down the rest of his own glass and laid his head on the table, heart aching.

* * *

At a hotel on the outskirts of London, a young woman sat behind the desk, head propped in her hands, nodding off to sleep. She had dark circles marking her lovely olive skin. Her chestnut hair had once been neatly pulled back into a bun was now falling down in her face. The storm of summer rumbling overhead did nothing for her drowsiness, so she slipped, mouth slightly agape, giving in to the call of sleep long lost.

That is, of course, until the night watchmen came 'round. He noticed her gently slumber and knocked on the desk. "Oi," the older gent called, smiling behind his grey-white beard. "You alright then, lass?" He ask.

"I have a four year old..." She started, yawing, "Who occasionally, lets say about once a month, decides to stay awake for about three days in a row." She explained, careful with her words. "He wears me down."

"Well, ye shift'er nearly done. Maybe he'll sleep tonight." The watchmen, Craig, she suddenly remembered, commented. "Night shift well be in soon enough now."

"Yeah, maybe." She shifted, stretching.

"What did ye say yer name was, lass?" He ask, propping himself on the counter.

"Er- Amelia." She replied.

"Yer boy's pa not help when he be up raising a ruckus?" He asked, Amelia closed her eyes and sighed. It was always the 'well meaning' older ones who had this sort of question.

"He doesn't have one. It's just us." She gave a weak smile, then moved the mouse on the computer before her, pretending to be busy so he'd drop it, which he did after a moment.

Amelia Cartlee sighed. She didn't want to seem rude, but taking on a third job was hard enough, and she wouldn't have even considered it if the bakery she'd primarily worker in had not cut her hours so sharply. But she had to make up the income, and a friend worked at the hotel, and knew that evenings a week they needed an extra to mind the desk, check customers in. So she took it.

It was growing exhausted though, trying to keep it all going. She idly flipped open her day planner, checking her shifts for the rest of the week. She jumped when the phone rang. "Perry Town Inn?" She said into the phone.

'Miss Cartlee?' the voice on the other end of the phone called. Amelia recognized the voice of her elderly neighbor, Mrs. Tubbart.

"Mrs. Tubbart?" She said, confused.

"Yes, dear. It's me." She said. The older woman sounded scared. "I hate to bother you at work, darling, but there are lights inside your house. Like someone has broken in..." Amelia's heart stopped. She was forever thankful that her friend Saraya, who was watching her son for the evening, had him at her house with her and her children. "I wasn't spying, see, but I had let my little Trixie out for a night-night loo in the grass and-"

"Mrs. Tubbart, have you by any chance called the authorities?" She ask quickly, interrupting her neighbor.

"Well, that is why I'm calling, dear. I know our area is mixed bag of muggles and wizard, so I wasn't sure who-"

"The bobbies will be sufficient. I'll call. Thank you so so much, Mrs. Tubbart."

Her heart was pounding as she held down the receiver button to end the call so she could make another. She called down to the local station and ask if a possible patrol officer could stop by and check out the area, and they agreed. After she'd hung up the phone with the police operator, she redialed the phone once more to Saraya and explained the situation. Saraya explained her husband had just gotten home and was totally okay with keeping the children so she could come over and meet the officers with Amelia. She sighed with relief as she ended the last call and the night shift for the desk came in the door. She skipped giving any small talk with the other woman, and simply gave a short report of the shift before hurrying out and around the corner, disapperating to Saraya's home with a soft 'pop'.

"Mummy!" The sound came from the other side of the kitchen, and the padding of small bare feet followed. She soon had the wind knocked out of her as her small, sandy-blond blur of a son jumped into her arms.

"Were you good for RayRay and Thomas?" She ask, placing a kiss on the boy's forehead.

"He always is..." Thomas, Saraya's husband answered. But he himself looked a little tired. Amelia simply smiled. She had thanked them over and over for being willing to help her.

"Still high energy, I see." She said, tickling him.

"Its actually more of an act. He had mentioned he was getting sleepy." Saraya said, coming around the corner, rain jacket it hand. Amelia sat her son back on the ground and he began to whine the second his feet hit the floor.

"Are you two sure you're alright? Maybe you ladies should stay here and let me go meet the detective?" Thomas offered. Saraya rolled her eyes.

"We'll pop over and back." She said, laughing.

"I'm sure it was just some misguided soul who didn't realize how poor I was until they decided to try to rob me." Amelia agreed, joining the laughter. "We'll be right back." At her feet, Amelia felt where her son had sat on her feet and wrapped around her legs.

"No go." He pouted.

"Its just a few more minutes, August. Please don't be upset." She soothed, stroking his hair.

"Promise?" He whined. She laughed and ruffled the hair she'd just smoothed down.

"I do." She scooped him up for a quick kiss on the cheek and handed him to Thomas, before she and Saraya dissapperated together.

* * *

The door to her small rental home was cracked open, the police officer propped along beside the door, waiting. Amelia closed her eyes and swallowed as she and Saraya came up the stairs. They'd disapperated into a nearby clearing that many in the village of magical heritage use for the same purpose, and walked to her house so to not disturb the cop.

"Which one o' you ladies is the tenant?" He ask.

"That would be me." Amelia said quietly. Saraya squeezed her hand.

"I won' lie to ye, Miss," The man stated, blowing air forcefully through his nose. "T'ain't pretty in there."

"Waa-" She pushed past the man, who made no real effort to stop her. He seemed almost annoyed to be there. But she did agree, as soon as she was in the front door. There were smashed pieces of glass everywhere, furniture was overturned. Pictures were ripped from the walls.

"I can stay 'round, if it makes you feel safer, but you'll be the only one who'd be knowin' if anything were missing." The detective said, walking in. Amelia snorted. To her, he seemed either entirely sleepy, or drunk. "Ye can file a report on any missin' belongings."

"Thank you, I think we have it..." Saraya said, smiling in a bitter, sour sort of way. The man shrugged and sauntered off.

"Fat lot of good he was." Amelia said, gently dusting off a picture of herself holding August as a newborn. Saraya looked sadly at her friend, the took her wand from the inner pocket of her raincoat and waved it, causing the mess to start flying away from the floor. Pictures went back in their frames, glasses and vases pieced themselves back together and returned back to their shelves.

"I don't understand." She said, moving from the living room/kitchen area of her small home and into her bedroom. The mess was similar there, and she used her own wand to right the damage. Then she moved to her son's room. Saraya ran in behind her when she heard her wand clatter to the floor. On the wall above August's bed were the words 'YOU KNOW HE BELONGS WITH US', carved into the drywall. Nothing else in his room was out of place.

"Am?" Saraya laid a hand on her best friend's shoulder, waving her wand and removing the message from the wall.

"They found him. How is that possible?" She whispered, her voice cracking on the edge of tears.

"The pack?" Saraya ask, and Amelia nodded. "Why-"

"He wants kids. He usually bites them, but born Lycans are stronger than bit werewolves. He aims to raise an army." She said, sinking to the floor. Saraya sat down beside her.

"We'll help you..." She offered. Amelia shook her head.

"You already do too much." She sighed.

"Thomas has a friend, who knows some people. I think they can help." She offered her hand, and Amelia took it and together they disapperated back to Saraya's home.

* * *

 **So-**

 **You ever find a fic and just LOVE the plot but it is from like... 2014 and the author isn't active anymore? I had read this fic about a similar plot a few back, and had wanted it to continue so much but I even reached out to the author but no good. That was last year. The account isn't even up anymore :(  
**  
 **So, no, this plot itself is not my idea. But I only took the simple basis. I changed every other detail, and made it my own. I hope you all enjoy it!**


	2. Chapter 2

The house that Amelia now found herself and her son to be staying in was, by her guess, coated in around twenty years of dust. Someone who had introduced himself as Kingsley, an Auror who Thomas had called for her explained that it was a safe place, already securely guarded, warded and under the protection of a secret keeper.

She and August had been there for around five hours total so far. There were more questions than answers, but the Auror, Kingsley, had told her that her son was one of three who had received threats of the kind, but he was the only who had not yet been taken. So, for the safety of her son, she let the wizard she'd only just met bring her to this strange house. Twenty minutes to get the things she needed; Thomas and Saraya had assured her they would take care of getting the rest into storage.

August was currently on the large king-sized bed in the bedroom she'd been given, sleeping at last. Amelia longed to join him, and had been encouraged to do so, but her nerves would not allow her. She'd laid beside him at first, but felt too curious and restless to make herself stay down. So she was up, pacing around the room, looking in drawers and out the windows.

This bedroom was much cleaner than the rest of the old, dark house, having obviously been cleaned for the intention for someone to stay. Amelia had settled next to the large window, which overlooked the streets of London below. Cars and people bustled about, giving no regard to the rain which had started to fall. She sighed, and closed her eyes. She was almost relaxed enough to doze off herself when the door rattled slightly with a firm knock on the other side. Startled, Amelia quickly crossed the room before whoever was there knocked again and woke the small, sleeping Lycan.

Amelia cautiously cracked the door, and found a cheery looking ginger woman on the other side. She was dressed in a hand knitted apron and had her hair in a bun on top of her head. She smiled brightly at Amelia. "Hello, dear. I'm Molly."

"Amelia, pleasure." She said, stepping into the hall and pulling the door shut quickly behind her. "Sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but it has been a while since I've actually been able to get my son to sleep."

"Not to worry. I was just about to start a bit of supper, was wondering if there was anything either of you didn't like, or perhaps couldn't have that I should be aware of?" Molly ask, still smiling sweetly.

"Oh- I, er-" Amelia stammered. "No, nothing. We'd be grateful for anything, thank you."

"Of course. You tend to your little one, I'll come back around and get you both when it gets time to eat. Just give a shout if there is anything you need. There are several teenagers running around, also. Ask one of them to fetch me, if needed." She instructed, and Amelia agreed and thanked the older witch, then retreated back into the room.

* * *

August liked "the other kids", even though they were all a great deal older than he. He was especially taken with Molly's twins, who kept the young boy on their hip from morning until bedtime, charming his toys to play with him, teaching him tricks with cards and coins. Amelia found it very endearing, and it also made it easier to go back to working a few days after settling in.

There were other residences of the house, full and part time.

Several people that came and went which Amelia had not been formally introduced to. Nor did she wish to, as they all seemed to be very busy with Order of the Phoenix business, something she had no time nor desire to get involved, because between her jobs and son she had nothing left of herself to spare.

There were a few still she had met, and a couple she quite liked.

There was a young Auror, who had actually been two years behind her at Hogwarts, Tonks, who she enjoyed when she came through. She was funny, and always ready to try to make sure both Amelia and August were looked after and felt safe. She was very sweet, and a good ear for Amelia to talk to. It had been a long time since she had someone other than Saraya with whom she felt she could confide in. It wasn't much she could tell her, but to simply have someone to complain about work with, it was nice.

The other resident of the house she found herself to be quite fond of was Sirius Black.

She knew quite a bit about him from stories she'd been told, but they were nothing compared to meeting the wizard in question. He was brilliant, funny, and extremely handsome. He had a flirtatious habit that made Amelia blush when he spoke to her, but she knew this was just how he spoke to pretty much everyone she'd seen him have a conversation with.

It was these two, cousins as it turned out, that Amelia found herself in the company of on this particular evening, a good two weeks after having come to stay. She'd worked at the bakery for the day, and been able to come home at a decent hour, and play with her son for a while before he was put to bed. Then Tonks and Sirius nagged until they convinced her to join them for a drink in the drawing room.

"August was asking me about animagic today." Sirius informed the young boy's mother. "Apparently the young Granger girl told him that lycans can learn to control their transformations, and turn to wolves at will. He is very interested."

"She- I'm sorry, what?" Amelia huffed. There was so much she herself didn't even know about how to help him as he grew, and it always got on her nerves when other people butted in with things like this without asking.

"I know. Molly told her she was way out of line, but you know I think she means well. She's a sweet kid." Sirius defended.

"What did you say to August when he ask?" Amelia ask, crossing her arms over her chest. Tonks' eyes darted from her new friend to her cousin and back, anxiously waiting his response.

"That he was much too young to worry about all that, but that he needed to ask you anything about it if he had questions." Sirius replied simply. "I know my boundaries. Usually."

"I honestly wish sometimes..." Amelia sighed, flopping back against the chair.

"What did- Oh sorry." Tonks started to question then decided better of it. Amelia looked over at her and nodded, indicating for her to finish the question she had started. "What did happen to his dad?"

"He left." She replied. "He didn't leave _us_. He only left _me_. I didn't even know I was pregnant for another month. I was two, maybe three weeks along when he bolted." She shrugged and sighed.

"I'm sorry." Tonks said quietly. Amelia gave a small laugh.

"Don't be. It is what it is, and I got the better end of the deal. August is... Everything I never knew I needed. And don't get me wrong- I struggle every day. But- I wasn't rich before. But getting to be that kid's mom. Its awesome." She smiled sadly. "I just wish I knew better how to help him."

"What about-"

Sirius cleared his throat loudly and stopped Tonks' thought. Amelia looked at both of them questioningly.

"What about what?" She demanded, looking at each of them suspiciously.

"We have a member of the order. He's a werewolf. Was a teacher for a bit. Great with kids." Sirius said. "He is supposed to be back before we send for Harry."

"Oh?" Amelia said, sitting up.

"I'm sure he'd love to help anyway he can when he gets back. I'll introduce you." Sirius said.

"That would be wonderful Sirius. Thank you." She replied with a smile, which was quickly overtaken by a yawn. She finished her glass of whiskey and placed it on the table upside down. "Two shifts tomorrow, better rest."

"Night!" Tonks called as she watched the other witch exit the room. She waited for a moment, then crossed over to sit closer to her cousin. "Sirius." she called, pulling his full attention to her.

"Hmm?" He hummed, yawning himself.

"Why'd you interrupt me?" She ask, not really angry so much as she was curious.

"Huh?" Sirius replied.

"About Remus. And you didn't give a name." She explained. Sirius rolled his dark grey eyes at his younger cousin.

"Because, I have my reasons. But mostly because Remus is a private person, and he doesn't want just everyone knowing that fact about himself right off the bat. It isn't our place to give away such information." Sirius replied, a little more harshly defensive than he meant to be. Tonks nodded and apologized, leaving her cousin alone in the sitting room.

Sirius sat staring at the wall, thinking about the half-lie he had just told.

He loved his younger cousin, and Remus like a brother. And he liked the idea of them possibly becoming a couple- but there was something else that kept his mind working overtime.

August reminded him very much of the younger version of an eleven year old boy he'd met on the Hogwarts Express.

* * *

 **Decided to go ahead and add to this, because I like the idea. I'm a fan of fics that go into the life Remus had between that faithful Halloween and PoA.**

 **Anyway. I'd love some feedback, but as always, thank you so much for reading.**


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